Journeys of an Adept
by Mercurio
Summary: Luke comes accross a new companion in the town of Kolima.
1. Chapter I

Journeys of an Adept

Part I

Thunder was heard in the distance. Residents of the city of Vault directed their views to the northwest, from where the disruption was coming. They saw nothing above the mountains and treetops, but yet they heard, and they knew.

            They had heard this once before, three years ago, when the boulder of Mt. Aleph fell and destroyed Vale. But it couldn't be another boulder. This was different. 

            Luke looked to where it was coming from, yet his view was obstructed. He attempted to correct it by passing Vault's entrance, but could still not see anything. He heard murmurs from people, "It's Mt. Aleph again," they said. The vibrations from the earth shook his boots, while the wind picked up in his hair. There were muffled thunderclaps in the distance, yet no clouds in the sky. This was no boulder.

            An immense explosion blew them off their feet. They lay on the ground, still being tossed by the rumbling. Luke was amazed, attempting to flip himself over after being flung headfirst. When he rolled around he finally saw something, debris in the air, shining in the sunlight, and many small beams of light, in red, blue, yellow and purple. 

            The vibrations stopped, and he was able to stand again, so, of course, he went to see the source of the explosion. He headed northwest, running as fast as he could. After only a few yards west he could see Mt. Aleph., it was erupting. Mt. Aleph was inactive, wasn't it? When he stood to gaze at its eruption, he was oblivious to the stone careening through the air. As he gazed in thought, it came closer and closer. 

            He felt something slam into his head, and fell over, eyes rolled back into his head. He was hit by a psynergy stone, a rather large purple crystal it was. It rested on his hand, after ricocheting his skull. What he did not know was the stone was bringing out powers in his essence he had no idea existed. 

*          *            *

            Luke awoke to a splitting headache. He groaned and managed to push himself up, still unconsciously holding the stone. He noticed the stone in his hand and attempted to toss it away, but as he did, it levitated. There was a mystical force holding it up, but he had no idea what it was. When he broke his eye contact to shake his head, it fell to the ground.

            He regarded it as nothing more than a hallucination and decided to return to Vault where he could rest. On the way he notice some more smaller stones scattered around the ground. Paying limited attention to the gleaming stones, he reached Vault, where his mother was waiting. She rushed towards him, where she touched his head to feel the rather large bump protruding from his scalp. She glided over it and he winced.

            "What did you do this time, I thought you would know better than to go out during an earthquake!"

            Luke put his head down and shook it, "Please just let me rest."

            His mother helped him into their house, and twisted the bronze handle to their door. She helped him into his bed, where he groaned and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. His mother, relieved, but still irritated, fetched a damp cloth and placed it on his bruise. 

*          *            *

            Luke opened his eyes, focusing to the familiar view of his house. He threw off his covers and stepped on to the rather chilly wooden floor and snatched some clothes from his closet. He slipped on his navy blue boots and black cloth pants, then buckled them with a matching black belt. He slid on his navy shirt and white scarf, then headed out of the house.

            It was then it struck him. He saw his mother falling into a well. She screamed as she lost her footing and grabbed the bucket rope, while flying down the tunnel. He was not looking at the well though, and he had not heard his mother's screams. It had been in his mind. 

            He looked to his left to see his mother gathering water from a well. Bringing up the bucket he had just saw her cling to while she fell. He rushed over to her as fast as he could. She lost her footing. He leaped for her. He grabbed her waist and flung her behind him. 

            It was then that he realized what that was. He had seen the _future_. He had seen his mother's fate and stopped it. He had no idea how he was able to do it or what was enabling him to do it. 

            His mother stood up and shook herself off. Luke popped up and helped his mother to her feet. She was still shaken from her experience, so Luke helped her inside the house and into bed. She was not hurt, just stunned, luckily for both of them. Yet all Luke could think of was his experience of foreseeing. He began to think of the strange purple stone and how he had seen it levitate. He had never seen anything like that happen until he was knocked out by the stone, so they must have had something to do with it. 

            When his mother was secure in bed, he decided to explore where it clunked him on the head. He passed a few stones, but then grew impatient and reached for one. He clasped his fingers over its smooth shiny surface and lifted it up. He examined it, but before he could concentrate, a rush of energy swept through him. His hair stood on end, his muscle bulged, and the stone radiated. But as fast as it came, the stone dissolved.

            Luke was full of unknown energy, unable to calm his muscles. He fell to his knees, shaken. His muscles generated small spasms throughout his body, but they faded as he calmed himself. His face was as pale as snow, and his eyes dared not to blink.

            Giving himself time to collect himself, he rose to his feet and looked at the other stones around him. Whenever he walked past him, he felt a small attraction to them, and they radiated a purple glow. 

            A squirrel bearing a nut was scurrying next to him. It dashed into a stone and fell backwards. It hit the ground hard and shuttered. It twitched and rolled over, then began to mutate. Its muscles bulged, its teeth grew, and its pupils shrunk. Convulsing hands crushed the nut it had once held in its hand. Foam spewed from its mouth and it lunged at Luke. 

            He stumbled backwards and grabbed a stick to defend himself. He swung it in the air frantically, and finally collided with the mutated beast. It humped towards him, mouth wide open, foam flying in the air. In panic, he instinctually held the stick in between himself and his attacker, where it was cracked beneath the jaws of the monster. Weaponless, he swiped at it using his fist, and a sharp blow to the head did not affect it. It pounced again, and his fist, now an outstretched palm began to tremble. Pure energy formed itself in his palm and took the form of a gale of wind, hurling the creature backwards.

            It lay there, unconscious, while Luke made his getaway and dashed back to Vault.


	2. Chapter II

Chapter 2

Luke's dreams that night were of strange origin, as if his mind had never rested during his slumber. He awoke with a headache, but it dissipated in seconds. He had to find out more about his powers, he had to find someone to explain to him what was happening. 

            Luke robed himself as quickly as his arms would allow, and frantically ran out the door. He went to the wisest man he knew, which was the mayor, who seemed old enough in years to know something of his phenomenon.

            After a quick second to direct himself mentally, he turned to the dirt steps of the Mayor's house. He jogged up them at a quick pace, paying attention to the intervals of his steps. The door was closed, so he knocked on it, and leaned on it precariously while waiting for an answer. But when the answer did come, he door swung open and he smacked the floor face first. 

            The Mayor's maid picked him up and dusted him off with a frantic, but analytic frown while doing so. The thump of his fall had directed the attention of the mayor, who had previously been eyeing his city out of a window. He walked over to the boy, and guided him into a chair. 

            Luke needed a second to catch the wind that was knocked out of him, but soon after he was able to tell the mayor his predicament. Through his explanation, he nodded and looked away as if taking part of his memory out from his subconscious. "A boy named Ivan who used to live here had these same sort of powers. A few days ago, he ventured off with a group of kids from Vale, they claimed to have the same powers as Ivan, and spoke of a man named Kraden, a keeper of Alchemy. Go to him with your questions, he will surely have an answer for you." Luke shook his hand and proceeded to Vale, where he could meet with this Kraden fellow himself. 

            Before doing so he ventured home and explained to his mother his new quest. She was reluctant at first, but agreed to the situation, handed him a map and waved him off to Vale. Without needing further persuasion, Luke walked past the limits of Vault and headed northwest, to the city of Vale.

            The air that day was clean, and a cool breeze blew over dew covered grass, which reflected the cloudless sky's shining sun that peered over all he saw. Despite the fact that it was what one could call a perfect day, he kept an eye out for monsters such as the creature he had come across before.

            It was a long walk, but not unbearably long, and he reached Vale in a little more than an hour. Not many were seen at the edge of Vale, and only some children playing with a dog could be seen. When he had entered the city he beheld a giant stone, glowing of the deepest violet, reflecting all around it like a massive mirror. 

            He peered at the stone, and wearily approached it with a tilted head of intrigue. Whenever he took another step, his hair stood on end, and a cold rush ran through his body. It seemed similar to the one that he had held in his hand, an he concluded that it must be another of the same origin.

            Not entirely forgetting his previous arrangements, he walked forward to a woman pampering her plants in front of her house. "Do you know where I could find a man named Kraden?" She nodded and pointed straight ahead, where he followed her finger to the alchemists house.

            A building atop a hill was the first house he laid eyes upon, but it didn't look like a house belonging to a great scholar or scientist. But when he stepped closer, a low rumbling noise and a curdling of bubbles could be heard from inside. He made his way closer to the door of the place, and knocked on the door. No Answer. He knocked harder. No answer. He whacked the door with all his might, and through his hand a gust of wind threw the door open. No one was inside, but a lone note hang pinned to a table centered in the room.

            He took it and read it:

            _Anyone who wishes to see Mr. Kraden, please come to the temple atop Mt. Aleph._

            He shrugged, and gradually climbed uphill, until he found the peak of Mt. Aleph, where a set of doors were set in a cave of mud and rock. He opened them, and an elderly priest greeted him. "What do you seek traveler?" He asked, and Luke simply held up the note he had found.

            "Ah, you seek Kraden, it is quite unfortunate what has happened to him. Perhaps I could be of service."

            Luke explained his powers and demonstrated them by expelling a small wind gust from his hand. "The power you have is none other than psynergy. It has been the responsibility of the people of Vale to keep it a secret, but somehow this stone you speak of is the exact same kind of our large Psynergy stone. Your powers will grow as you mature, be weary of their presence, but do not fear them, instead try and work them to your advantage. Good luck young adept."

            Luke had a minute to analyze his lesson, but soon exited the temple and walked back down to the lower level of the city, where he overheard a group of women speaking of an incident in Kolima. Thinking that he could use this as his first chance to use his powers, he left Vale and proceeded to Kolima, constantly referring to his map for bearings.


	3. Chapter III

Chapter III

            Luke's map failed him when he reached a wall of stacked boxes at the entrance to Kolima. It was surrounded by a pond, and seemed nearly impassible. Using a minute of thought, he attempted to throw a gust of wind at it, but to no avail. So, using his backup plan, he threw his shirt over the boxes to the other side and dove into the pond, then swam to the other side. He surfaced, drenched but refreshed, and put his shirt back on. He slowly trugged on with his dripping shorts until he had an idea.

            He pointed his hand to his pants, and conjured a wind gust. It struck him with such force he fell backwards and hit the stacked wall of boxes. "Guess I'm going to have to find another way to dry my pants," he thought.

            After making sure the damage he did to the wall wasn't severe, he walked forward on a dirt path, which slowly became grassier and grassier, until he came upon a large group of trees, towering above him. He avoided the darkness of that forest, and followed his map to Kolima, which was only a short distance from this giant forest. 

            Kolima, it seemed was eerily quiet, and the place was littered with saplings. He took a closer look at one of the saplings and noticed a similarity of it to a human, then his face turned blue in terror. This was no tree, it was a _man._ He heard a faint mumble from it and place his ear to it.

"Help me…." It said to him and he shot back in fear. Before he could compose himself he was seized by the neck, and brought into a headlock.

            "I wont let you cut them down! I wont, I wont I wont!" a young male voice shouted into his ear, grabbing him tighter.

            "What do you mean?" Luke wheezed

            "I wont let Tret change you too!"

            "Tret…what, wait…let…go," he gasped, and threw him off of his neck.

            "they chopped them all down, I tried to stop them."

            "Who chopped what down?"

            "Come on," a boy who finally showed his face, looking a year or two younger than him with brown hair and deep blue eyes grabbed his arm, and forced him into the same speed. They ran to the forest he had avoided and the boy pulled him in. 

            He pointed at the chopped down trees, and Luke was astonished, almost every tree was cut down, and in some places there were more human-trees. He was brought through winding paths and through many still heavily wooded areas until they found two giant trees.

            They had faces of their own, and spoke to them. One with a female face appeared to be sleeping, while the other with a green male face frowned and groaned. "I'm too weak Geoffrey, I cannot change them back."

            "You must," the brown haired boy yelled.

            "In a few days, I will die, and I will not be able to change your friends back to their previous forms."

            Geoffrey started to pout, and his eyes began to tear. Luke could hear him speaking in his mind, "there must be a way to help it." The tree with a woman's face then spoke to them, "go find water from the mercury lighthouse. It is the only way to save Tret, go now, he doesn't have much time left."

            Geoffrey took his head and lifted it, then Luke placed his hand on his shoulder. "I will help you save Tret, I understand now," he said gently.

            "But, how—I haven't told you anything."

            "I heard your thoughts in your mind, I will help you save your family." Luke was expecting a strange reaction to his ability to mind read, but the boy just nodded, and started to walk back in the forest. He grabbed Luke's hand and said, "Hold on," then he began to change. They changed into a swarm of balls of energy, then flew to the entrance of the forest.

            "Wha—Who—," Luke remained exceedingly confused and began to look at his limbs to make sure his body was still in tact. "I call it retreat, it's a type of psynergy, of course you know all about Psynergy if you can mind read right?"

            "Yeah but—,"

            "Good, lets go then," With only that said, he ran with a look of sheer determination on his face, to the barricade that Luke had passed earlier. While Luke began to take off his shirt again, Geoffrey raised his hands and moved the closest box by creating a crack in the earth to guide it into place.

            Luke realized then that this boy's powers were totally unlike his own. If this boy could crack the ground, then either his powers are much greater or they are much different. This boy also seemed have a great deal of endurance, because he was already pulling ahead of him.

            He smiled and followed his newly found companion, realizing that he could expect great things from him.


End file.
